Rounding up rampant arts news

Sometimes news just floods in, and we have to collect it all into one omnibus post and resolve to get back to the individual pieces later. That’s a lot like now, for example, because on the heels of Christopher Stowell’s departure from Oregon Ballet Theatre, a bunch more stuff has happened.

Linda Magee leaves Chamber Music Northwest

Ever since I came to Portland in 1979, Linda Magee has served as executive director of Chamber Music Northwest, running a tight, efficient organization that supported art making of a high order. Classical music organizations have had their struggles, especially recently, but CMNW has managed to adjust and keep things going. Last season, attendance was up 11 percent and the budget was balanced.

So, I was surprised to hear this morning that she was leaving. Here’s part of the press release:

“Making this decision has been hard, and I’ve been thinking about it for quite a while. I’m very confident that the organization’s future is a bright one, and it’s an appropriate time to turn over the reins to a new leader. I am proud of my accomplishments and of my legacy, and I look forward with excitement to new opportunities in the next phase of my career, and to having the chance to spend more time with my mother. I deeply value the many friendships I have made through CMNW, and will be forever grateful for the generosity of those who helped build CMNW into the treasure it is today.”

Magee’s partner through these years has been artistic director David Shifrin, whose contract runs through 2016. So, he will be on hand to help the transition with a replacement ED. And Magee’s staff is excellent, too, so while a search committee does its due diligence, things will be in good hands. In the meantime, though, we owe Linda both thanks and congratulations for her remarkable tenure at CMNW.

Damaso Rodriguez

Artists Repertory Theatre names a new artistic director

Following Allen Nause won’t be an easy task because he fit the ecology of ART so well, both artistically and personally, but new artistic director Dámaso Rodriguez comes to the task with a lot of pertinent experience. He co-founded a small, experimental theater company (the Furious Theatre Ensemble), a little like Chris Coleman did in Atlanta before coming to Portland Center Stage. And he worked as associate artistic director at a big theater, the Pasadena Playhouse, which went into bankruptcy while he was there (though it emerged and is now doing fine).

Named on Thursday to replace Nause, Rodriguez comes having worked with Hollywood stars at the Pasadena Playhouse (as Nause worked with William Hurt at ART) and shown a predilection for quirky contemporary plays. He will direct the West Coast premiere of “Ten Chimneys” by Jeffery Hatcher as his Artists Rep directorial debut in April.

He also is ambitious for the company. From the press release:

“I endeavor to create a home for the region’s most talented writers and build an environment and process for nurturing new work that inspires writers from around the world to premiere their work in Portland. Additionally, I intend to expand over the months and years ahead Artists Rep’s Resident Acting Company into a larger Ensemble of Artists that will include writers, directors and designers, as well as actors. I hold a sincere, passionate belief in collaboration and that the ensemble model is the best way to form a community of artists, production staff and administrators.”

We’ll be talking to him in days to come, so stay tuned!

Portland means… Grammy nominations!

In general the Grammy Awards mean practically nothing to me, but they mean enough to other people to note the musicians with local connections who nab a nomination, right?

So, a tip of the hat to the Oregon Symphony for the two nominations around last year’s “Music for a Time of War” CD on the Pentatone label for Best Orchestral Performance and for Best Engineered Album, Classical. That’s from the program that earned such critical enthusiasm for the orchestra at Carnegie Hall last year: Ives, Adams, Britten and Vaughan Williams’s Fourth Symphony. Which says that great, adventurous work IS sometimes rewarded.

Bassist/vocalist/band leader Esperanza Spalding got three mentions herself for her “Radio Music Society” album: 1) Best Jazz Vocal Album 2) Long Form Music Video, and 3) a joint nomination with trumpeter and educator Thara Memory for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) for their “City of Roses.”

The Grammy awards will be announced on February 10. Best of luck!

An art party for Mayor Sam Adams

The support offered by Mayor Sam Adams to the arts community during his four years of mayor was really unprecedented, and judging from the comments of the major mayoral candidates this year, including mayor-elect Charlie Hales, that level of support will continue. Which is a major accomplishment all by itself.

The arts community is honoring Mayor Adams tonight at YU (Friday).á After a sold-out patron reception, the doors will open for a dance party at 9 pm, “featuring DJ PRASHANT, DJ EVAN ALEXANDER, Poison Waters, Anansi Beat, Boombots, Isaac Trimble, Axe Dide Samba, SexBots, Sabor Latino, Clay Hoffman, The Sliders, and other surprise performances throughout the evening.” Admission is $25 and proceeds go to The Right Brain Initiative and Work for Art.

It’s likely we’ll explore the Adams contribution to arts in the city at greater length in the future, just because it was so different. And needed.